


The problems with Christmas presents

by yogini



Series: Christmas fluff Camelot style [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Presents, Christmas Smut, Consensual Kink, Cute, Established Relationship, Ficlet, Financial Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Illegal Activities, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Naughty/Nice, Punishment, Santa's naughty list, Short & Sweet, Spanking, Stealing, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 06:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2721917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yogini/pseuds/yogini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwaine wants to get Arthur something nice for Christmas but he royally messes things up and Arthur is none too pleased with his boyfriend’s actions…</p>
            </blockquote>





	The problems with Christmas presents

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so maybe not as fluffy as the rest, at least not in the beginning, but the ending is pretty cute... If you're into that kind of things ;-)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the characters in the series, I'm just borrowing them from their respective owners to play with a little and I promise to give them back when I'm done. No copyright infringement is intended and I don't make any money from writing fanfiction.

“Arthur, I’m so…” Gwaine started saying but was almost immediately interrupted by his boyfriend.

“Not now, Gwaine” Arthur snapped sharply and when Gwaine dared a sideways glance he saw that Arthur’s jaw was clenched and he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles whitened. Gwaine closed his eyes and leaned back against the headrest, silently berating himself. How could he have been so _stupid_?

 

It wasn’t until they’d gotten out of the car, into the fancy building were Arthur lived and closed the apartment door behind them that Arthur spoke again. Or shouted, more like.

“What the _hell_ were you thinking, Gwaine?”

“I…” Gwaine started but was interrupted again.

“Did you even think _at all_?

“Well, I…”

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Well nothing, obviously, as you keep interrupting me!” Gwaine shouted back and immediately regretted it as Arthur’s posture went rigid and Gwaine could’ve sworn that he could see tiny wisps of smoke emerging from Arthur’s nostrils. No a good sign, and he hurried to hold up a placating hand.

“I just meant that... Please let me explain.” Arthur coldly raised his eyebrows and made a gesture that Gwaine interpreted as ‘go on.’

“I just wanted to get you something nice for Christmas” he said quietly and as soon as the words had left his mouth he heard Arthur give out a strangled cry.

“And why the _fuck_ did you…?” Arthur paused and made a heroic effort of reigning in his temper. “Let’s sit down” he said and abruptly turned on is heel to stomp into the living room, Gwaine trailing after him and feeling like a naughty child who’s in for a serious scolding. Arthur threw himself down on the couch and waited until Gwaine had sat down as well.

 

“All right” Arthur said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “If you wanted to give me something nice, I would have been happy with anything you’d bought me. Gwaine, I don’t understand, why would you try to steal me a gift?” Gwaine mumbled his answer, eyes firmly fixed on the grey carpet and nervously twisting his hands in his lap.

“Pardon?”

“I said, I couldn’t afford to buy them” Gwaine repeated louder, looking thoroughly deflated.

“But you didn’t have to…” Arthur began but Gwaine interrupted him, letting loose a stream of words.

“I wanted to give you something nice, and you’ve been talking about how you need a new pair but never have the time to go shopping and I thought it would be a good gift, but when I saw how much they were I realized that I could never afford it and, I don’t know, I just, sort of, took them. I didn’t think, somehow they were in my pocket and then security came running and then you and…” Gwaine hung his head when he felt the cushions dip and Arthur moved closer, he couldn’t bear to look his boyfriend in the eyes right now.

 

“Oh, love“ Arthur sighed, pulling his unresisting boyfriend into a hug. “Does it really bother you that much that I have money and you don’t?” Gwaine nodded into Arthur’s chest.

“You know I don’t care about that, Gwaine.”

“Your posh friends all call me a gold digger and I just wanted to show them for once, to prove that I am really your boyfriend and not some unemployed charity case.”

“I don’t think stealing me a pair of expensive cufflinks is going to improve the way my friends look at you” Arthur murmured a bit drily and Gwaine felt even guiltier.

“What happens now?” He didn’t really want to know the answer but he felt that he had to ask all the same. He didn’t exactly think that he’d be sent to prison but for all he knew, Arthur’s dad might very well use this incident to break them up once and for all. Uther had never made a secret of the fact that he didn’t approve of Arthur’s boyfriend. An uneducated, currently between jobs, actor was not the partner that Uther had envisioned for his son, especially if said partner just had been caught in flagrante delicto, stealing in a high end designer store.

 

“Oh well, I don’t know” Arthur said. “I expect tomorrows headline in the papers will be something along the line of ‘Celebrity barrister’s boyfriend caught stealing’ or maybe they’ll use the term ‘toy boy’ instead…”

“Arthur!” Gwaine exclaimed in horror before he saw that his boyfriend was laughing. “You asshole, this isn’t funny” he scowled and tried to get off the couch but Arthur only tightened his hold.

“Sorry, love, but you sort of deserved it” Arthur said, still smiling slightly and Gwaine was forced to admit that he was right. “Don’t worry, I spoke to the store manager and they’ll not press charges or make a big deal out of this, provided that this never happens again.” The last bit had a none too concealed warning added to it and Gwaine got the message loud and clear.

“Thank God.” He exhaled deeply and felt his muscles relax for the first time in many hours. “I promise you, I’ll never even go near that place again.”

Arthur let him be, just holding him and stroking his hair and for a while the two of them just settled into a comfortable silence.

After a while Arthur hand came to rest on Gwaine’s chin and gently tilted it so that he could look into his boyfriend’s eyes.

“But Gwaine? We still have a small problem with this situation, I’m afraid.”

“Wait, what?” Gwaine felt a surge of panic and tried to scramble free but Arthur tightened his grip, grinning like a hunter would as he laid eyes on his prey. “You’ve been a very bad boy” he continued in that deep, low voice that sent shivers down Gwaine’s spine, “and if you don’t want to end up on Santa’s naughty list this year you better be ready for your punishment.” Gwaine swallowed and nodded.

“Go on then, love, on the bed, face down. I think it’s time someone had a real good spanking.”


End file.
